'Grandma Luge' takes Olympic case to court

Anne "Grandma Luge" Abernathy has appealed to the Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS) to be reinstated as an Olympic luge entrant after missing the event with a broken wrist.

Abernathy, 52, had demanded being listed as a participant in her sixth Olympics despite being unable to compete after a heavy fall in training.

"Mrs Abernathy, who did not get the medical go-ahead to take part in the event, wants her name included on the official start list so she can be entered in the Olympic records," CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb told AFP.

"She couldn't reach an agreement with the International Luge Federation and asked for an arbitration."

Abernathy, who would have been the oldest female competitor at the Games, broke her wrist in the last training session at the treacherous Cesana Pariol course.

The former professional entertainer has won widespread respect for beating cancer, a serious head injury and even a hurricane that destroyed her Virgin Islands home.